Welcome to Monday Night is Raw! I’ll be filling in this evening for your regular host, Mr. Marshall, who assures me he will be back next week and ready to roll! Grab a beer, grab a seat, put your feet up, forget about the first day back at work after a long weekend, and follow along with us as we cover a full two hours of Raw action…
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!
We open with a video of the new World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena, and the beat down Chris Jericho sustained last Monday from the new champ. Jericho appears with a mic and surrounded by security in the backstage area before making his way to the ring to complain about his son being a Cena fan, about Cena getting him fired in the first place, and how Cena stole the title from him.
Raw comes to us live from Washington, DC on the USA Network and our ringside announcers are Jerry “The King†Lawler and Michael Cole.
Intercontinental Championship Tournament Match: Rey Mysterio
Mike Knox is standing in the way and Mysterio comes after him but falls on the side of the entrance ramp and nails his arm on the ramp while the referee appears to make Knox leave the area and we go to commercial break.
After the commercial break, we come back to a replay of what happened before the break. Todd Grisham stops Stephanie McMahon and is told that Mysterio has torn ligaments in his arm. We should assume that Mysterio is out of the tournament? Great information we are getting here.
Tag Team Match: CM Punk and Kofi Kingston, WWE World Tag Team Champions vs. Manu and Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton is backstage watching this match on the monitor. The bell rings and Rhodes faces Punk The two lock up and Punk shows Cody some basic moves before tagging in Kofi. Rhodes takes Kingston down to the mat and Manu gets the tag but Manu is sent over the top rope and Kofi goes over the top rope and we go to commercial break.
Back from the break, Punk has Rhodes in an abdominal stretch but Punk gets a boot to the gut and Manu gets the tag. Manu delivers a head butt and goes for the cover for two, Cody gets the tag and Punk gets double-teamed. Rhodes applies a surfboard and then a chin lock but Punk powers out and tries to get to his corner only to catch a clothesline and Manu is tagged. Manu delivers a squash and goes for the cover for two again. Manu delivers a body slam and tags in Cody who delivers fists to the head and covers for one. Manu gets a tag in and Punk comes backs with kicks to the legs, Manu misses a squash, Cody gets the tag, Rhodes has a foot, Punk delivers a kick and Kingston gets the tag. Kofi comes out on fire, pins Cody, Manu interferes, catches a bulldog from Punk, Kofi delivers a spinning kick, covers and gets three.
Winners: Kofi Kingston and CM Punk with a spinning kick
Even with the commercial break, I liked this match. Punk is always great and he works well with Kingston and we go to commercial break.
For your Thursday read, catch Paul Marshall’s Total Nonstop Weekly!
Shawn Michaels and Triple H appear to point out, D Generation X Style, how to purchase WWE merchandise as Christmas gifts. Manu and Rhodes run into Orton backstage and Orton thinks they should join forces. Jericho is also backstage and he’s looking for Kane to put a bug in Kane’s ear about the monster John Cena and how he’s going to take out Kane and Kane loses his temper and we go to commercial break.
I am never one to miss a chance to point out the best in the indys and Mark Sterling has worked his way to the top of my “I Heart Heels†list. He snarls, sneers, cheats and beats his opponents in ways that make even yours truly cringe. Did I mention that in the midst of taking out his opponents with his spectacular heel style, he pulls out some awesome wrestling moves? Keep your eye on Sterling as he climbs to the top of the food chain. And catch him in an live indy match live if you get a chance!
We see a video of the spat last week between Steph and Shane McMahon and then we come out to Jillian Hall screeching in the ring.
Jillian Hall vs. Melina
Before the match can begin, Glamarella, Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella, comes to ringside and make their way to the announcer’s table. The ref calls for the bell and Jillian delivers enough shoulder blocks to send Melina through the ropes and the match moves to the floor for a few slams to the apron before moving back into the ring. Melina comes back but she’s having trouble with her leg. Melina delivers an I’m not sure what but she gets the cover and the three.
Winner: Melina
Santino and Melina have words and Marella wants to show everyone that he can do the Melina entrance. He does get one leg up, tries to get the other leg up and falls to the floor with what appears to be a pulled groin muscle? JBL is walking through the backstage area and we go to commercial break.
When it’s Friday, you want to be relaxing with me and Pulse Wrestling’s Real Time Smackdown Report!
Back from the break, we see a replay of Marella’s oopsie and now he is in the back with ice packs and someone is rubbing his back but it isn’t Phoenix. It’s Goldust and Santino screams like a girl and hobbles off.
Street Fight: John Bradshaw Layfield vs. “Heartbreak Kid†Shawn Michaels
JBL says he made an offer to Shawn Michaels and he has not heard back but he has challenged him to a Street Fight and he wants an answer from Michaels. Layfield has the mic and proceeds to tell Shawn that he has to look to the future and he can either accept his offer of a job or he can fight him right now. As I try not to yawn because this is getting a little boring, the fans are chanting HBK. John offers Michaels a free shot but he hesitates and Layfield tells him if he takes the shot, his offer is off the table forever and Shawn leaves the ring. That’s two matches that didn’t happen tonight and we go to commercial break.
Batista vs. Dolph Ziggler
Dolph takes the mic so that he can introduce himself, the ref calls for the bell and he offers to shake hands with The Animal but Batista isn’t having it so he slaps Batista instead. We have a little sliding in and out of the ring but Ziggler nails The Animal with a kick to the skull, Back in the ring, Dolph covers for two. Ziggler sidesteps the spear and nails Batista in the knee but comes off the ropes and gets caught in a spinebuster. The Animal delivers the Batista bomb with Batista getting the win.
Winner: Batista with a Batista bomb
Dolph looks like he could do a good job in the ring, not a bad match but a little short on time. Orton shows up as The Animal is celebrating his win to congratulate him but Randy says that one day it will be him versus Batista. Batista says that he talked to Steph and at Armageddon, it will be Batista versus Orton and we go to commercial break.
Orton is backstage and this time he is stopped by Jericho and he wants Randy to join him to work on Cena after Kane gets done with Cena but Orton isn’t interested and Jericho puts a bug in his ear about John has overshadowed everything Orton has done.
Intercontinental Championship Tournament Match: John Morrison vs. Finlay with Hornswoggle
Kingston and Punk have already moved forward in the Tournament but Mysterio is out of action and he was to have faced Miz tonight. The bell rings and Finlay applies a side headlock but Morrison comes off the ropes and sweeps Finlays legs, then misses a stomp using the ropes. Finlay goes for the cover but John kicks out, Morrison delivers a kick to Finlay’s head as he sits on the top turnbuckle, goes for a cover and Finlay kicks out. Morrison delivers a neck breaker, walks across Finlay’s chest but gets caught as he climbs the ropes. Finlay gets a cover and gets one, but takes Morrison down with numerous clotheslines and a squash but he still can’t get the three so he sends John to the floor where John pushes down Hornswoggle and the distraction gives Morrison a chance to deliver a blow to the head. Morrison springboards off the ropes, boot to the back of the head, covers and gets the three.
Winner: John Morrison with a pinfall
Finlay and Morrison both did a good job in this match. The match was too short but it had a lot of action and we go to commercial break.
When someone by the name of Mike Massive asks you to check out a website, do you say no? Not me, brothers and sisters! I checked out Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance, a new promotion in Perth Western Australia and discovered that “Exodus†will be held on December 6! If you are looking for action, this is the place to be…and please tell Mike I sent you.
Stephanie appears to announce the WWE Slammy Awards next Monday night and Superstar of the Year nominees are Edge, Batista, Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, Triple H, and John Cena. Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy, John Cena vs. Edge, Triple H vs. Batista matches will be part of the show next week which is a 3 hour special. She makes a mistake announcing the matches and says she pulled a Mike Adamle. Ha ha ha, very funny.
Intercontinental Championship Tournament: The Miz and we go to commercial break.
Back from commercial break, vs. Rey Mysterio
Mysterio has his right arm and elbow taped but he is in the match and Lawler reminds everyone that there was ligament damage to Mysterio’s arm early on. Rey hits the 619 early but misses the splash and Miz is back on his feet and goes to work on the damaged arm. There are pins and counter pins, Rey kicks Miz in the side of the head and goes for the cover getting two. Mysterio goes for a roll up, gets the three and the win.
Winner: Rey Mysterio with a roll up.
Short match but Rey did a great job selling the injured arm and winning the match. We see Kane getting ready for his upcoming match and we go to commercial break.
Kane vs. WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena
The bell rings and Kane goes after Cena with fists and boots but the ref calls him off and gives Cena a chance to catch his breath. Kane comes back and John is in trouble, Kane covers and gets two. Kane delivers a squash in the corner and applies a headlock. Cena powers his way out and tries for the FU but can’t get the job done. Kane delivers a dropkick to the head, covers and gets one. Cena comes back with fists but Kane delivers a sidewalk slam, covers and gets two. Kane goes up to the top but misses the clothesline, John locks in the STFU, Jericho charges the ring, Cena comes out after Chris, slams him into the guardrail, slides back into the ring and takes a boot to the skull. Kane tries for a chokeslam but Cena counters with an FU, covers and gets the win.
Winner: John Cena with an FU
Not a bad match but not the best of the night. After the match, Cena goes after Jericho again but Rhodes and Manu are out to take out John and Orton appears to pound on Cena on the entrance ramp and then delivers a DDT/neck breaker off the entrance ramp. The beat down continues and Jericho removes his jacket, rolls up his sleeves, and goes after John. Chris applies the Walls of Jericho with Cena screaming in pain and Jericho just screaming and that’s all, folks!
That’s it for tonight! Thank you for joining us! Thank you, Mr. Marshall, for letting me fill in! Everyone have a great week, stay safe, and I’ll see you this Friday! Be sure to find your Pulse everyday for the latest in news, opinions, columns, reviews and more!
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